'Needle in a haystack': Family seeks mistakenly donated heirloom wedding dress

Have you seen a vintage wedding dress?

An Ohio woman is asking Waterdown residents and thrifters to keep their eyes open after a vintage wedding dress was accidentally donated by a family member to the clothing donation bin outside the Waterdown Legion.

Catherine Boie said the dress, which is satin, with ruffles in the front, a full train and buttons up the back - was originally worn by her mother, Marjorie, in the 1950s, and then worn by her aunt and her sister. However, in late July - somewhere around July 28 - the family heirloom was left in a garment bag outside the Hamilton Street North bin.

She is appealing to anyone who may have picked up the dress from the bin - or a local thrift store - for help in bringing it back to the family.

I realize we're trying to win the lottery here and find a needle in a haystack, but we have to try," she said.

Boie said she has been in touch with Recycling Rewards, which is the organization that picks up items from the donation bins and disperses the donations to Talize, and while Talize-area stores are on the lookout for the dress, it may have been too late, and the dress could have already been sold - or potentially used for rags. However, if it was picked up by someone outside the bin, it may find its way to an area thrift store or consignment store.

Maybe someone saw a navy blue garment bag laying in a parking lot or in a ditch and picked it up - which would be fantastic."

She said the real value to the dress is sentimental, rather than monetary.

People think they're valuable, but they're really not," she said. I've talked to consignment stores - they're impossible to sell, they're sized, they're very specific."

Anyone with information about the dress should email sestina87@hotmail.com.